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Best Mattress for Couples

Buying a mattress as a couple can be quite the task. What if you and your partner enjoy two different firmness levels? How do you know which mattresses will perform well for amorous activities? What about motion transfer, materials, budget, and other factors? These are just a few of the questions that you’ll want to consider when buying a mattress as a couple.

Not to worry, Sleepopolis has highlighted all of the main topics that make a mattress good for couples as well as specific mattresses that are designed to serve their needs best. I want to emphasize that the information below is comprised of my opinions, reflecting my own preferences and biases, so use it as a starting point.

Read on for why I chose these mattress brands! Toward the bottom, I’ve also included more in-depth information on what I look for when reviewing mattresses for couples.

BEST MATTRESSES FOR COUPLES – TOP CHOICES DETAILED

Below I have listed my favorite and best mattresses for couples. I’ll continue to update this list as I test and review new mattresses. Down at the bottom I have all of my favorite mattresses for couples compared in one handy chart.

Split Firmness — Helix Mattress

The Helix Dual Extra is one of two split firmness options available from Helix

The Helix mattress is perhaps best known for being fully customizable, and that allows for couples to split firmness. That’s especially useful for sleepers who share a bed with a partner, because Helix customers can order two different firmness levels and constructions for each side of the bed. So if you and your partner prefer different firmness levels and feels, Helix’s easy customization process is definitely something to pay attention to.

Helix also utilizes microcoils in its construction, which help isolate movement and allow the mattress to perform very well on motion transfer tests. These help reduce the impact that one sleeper’s movement will have on their partner.

Multiple Firmness Options — Layla Mattress

Close up of the Layla mattress

The Layla Mattressis one of several on the market that comes with two firmness options in one mattress. By simply flipping the mattress, couples can choose between firm and soft sides, giving them multiple firmness options in one product. This is excellent if you’re not quite sure of your firmness preferences or anticipate wanting to change feels without purchasing an additional mattress. Layla’s copper-infused foam layers also help cool sleepers, which can help prevent overheating from sleeping next to a partner.

Temperature Neutral — Purple Mattress

Close up of the Purple hyper-elastic polymer grid

ThePurple Mattresshas a unique grid structure on top to keep users cool and supported. This grid creates air pockets under the sleeper, and along with the Purple’s notably breathable cover, works to protect against feeling encased by heat-trapping material. If you sleep next to your partner, heat transfer and protection against heat trapping are factors you definitely want to keep in mind for your mattress.

Together, these features help make Purple a great choice for couples looking for a temperature-neutral feel to protect against sleeping too hot.

Heavy Couples — WinkBeds Plus Mattress

Queen size WinkBeds mattress

The WinkBeds Plus Mattress is a version of the WinkBeds model made specifically for individuals over 300 lbs, and that helps make it great for heavy couples. The Plus version of WinkBeds provides additional pressure relief and exceptional support for heavier individuals and couples. The WinkBeds Plus Mattress is also built to be extra-durable, which could be an appealing feature for larger couples who want a bed to last for years. And it has great support throughout, including the edge, allowing you and your partner to better utilize the full surface of the mattress.

Light Couples — Nest Alexander Hybrid Mattress

Close up shot of the Nest Alexander hybrid cover

Nest Bedding’s Alexander Hybrid Mattresstops our list of options for light couples because of several factors working in tandem to provide a luxurious feel. Lighter sleepers may not “sink in” to firmer mattresses enough to feel the right level of support. The Alexander Hybrid’s zoned coil system, layers of memory foam, and thick quilted cover help ensure that even lighter sleepers and couples will feel the mattress’ pressure-relieving benefits.

Best Innerspring — Saatva Mattress

Corner view of the Saatva mattress

The Saatva Mattressis a popular innerspring mattress that features individually wrapped coils on top of steel support coils, along several layers of support foam and a European-style pillow top. It’s a desirable option for sleepers and couples who want a somewhat “traditional” innerspring feel but with the added benefits of modern mattress construction, including better performance on motion transfer. The pillow top also appeals to a variety of sleepers, which can help ensure both you and your partner are getting a great night’s rest.

Restless Partner — Amerisleep Mattress

Queen size Amerisleep AS2 mattress

Amerisleep makes mattresses in five different firmness levels, all of which feature high-quality Bio-Pur Foam and temperature-regulating covers made with Celliant®. The AS1 is Amerisleep’s firmest model while the AS5 is its softest, and though their most popular models range in between. Specifically, the model AS4’s thick memory foam comfort layer proved effective in our tests at dampening motion from one side of the bed to the other. This can be crucial to getting a good night’s rest if one member of a couple tosses and turns while sleeping. It’s our top pick for couples that include a restless partner.

Memory Foam — Loom & Leaf Mattress

Pressing into the Loom & Leaf

The Loom & Leaf Mattressis constructed from memory foam but still maintains solid bounce and responsiveness, two things many couples look for when picking a best mattress for sex. Loom & Leaf also boasts several features meant to help keep the sleeper or sleepers cool, including a swirled cooling gel evenly distributed through the comfort layer. This helps keep heat from getting trapped toward the top of the mattress, the part of the bed closest to the sleeper (or sleepers, in the case of couples sharing a bed).

Best Edge Support — Sapira Mattress

Close up shot of the Sapira mattress cover

The Sapira Mattress has industry-leading edge support, and the designers have gone to great lengths to ensure sleepers are supported over the entire surface of the bed. It has a special pocketed coil system that supports weight along the bed’s perimeter, even if you’re sitting directly on the edge (useful if you sit on your bed while getting dressed or putting on your shoes, for example). This great edge support allows couples to comfortable utilize the full surface of their bed.

Best for Sex — Brooklyn Bedding Signature Mattress

Queen size version of the Brooklyn Signature

When it comes to picking a mattress for sex, theBrooklyn Bedding Signature Mattress is a great choice. It features 4” of TitanFlex foam combined with a pocketed coil support system to give superior bounce. This is a feature many couples look for when picking a mattress that’s good for rest and most fun activities. The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Mattress also features solid edge support and keeps sleepers supported in multiple positions.

Budget — Nectar Mattress

Sitting on the edge – maximum weight on the mattress edge

The Nectar Mattressis an all-around solid mattress choice for couples that comes in at a more competitive price point than many other models on the market, especially for size Queen and above. The Nectar Mattress features a very breathable and thick comfort layer that can easily keep two sleepers supported in various positions, which is good if you and your partner prefer different sleeping positions. It’s our top pick for couples mattresses on a budget.

Picking A Mattress For Couples

When choosing a mattress that will work for you and your partner, the following criteria will come in handy before making your selection.

Motion Transfer

Motion transfer plays a big role with regards to purchasing a mattress as a couple. Nobody wants to roll over and wake their partner, or be woken by their partner’s movements. A mattress with very little motion transfer is a huge benefit for most couples. A mattress that has the ability to dissipate movement can be the difference between sleeping well and not sleeping at all. If you or your partner tend to be lighter sleepers, motion transfer is even more important.

Memory foam mattresses are usually the best choice when trying to avoid motion transfer (like the Amerisleep Mattress, which we rated highly for restless sleepers). The memory foam construction helps to absorb motion and / or dissipate any energy that tries to make its way across the mattress. That said, memory foam has a very distinct feel that isn’t great for everyone.

For these types of couples a latex, hybrid, or polymer mattress can be a great compromise. These types of mattresses offer a significant improvement over traditional coil mattresses, but still have more response, bounce, and less of a sinking / stuck feeling.

Support

In terms of general support, a good mattress should evenly support your body in a variety of sleeping positions, helping to maintain a neutral spinal alignment. Any quality mattress should meet this basic requirement.

However, for couples, support sometimes needs to go a step further. A couple collectively places more pressure on a mattress, which requires better support. This is especially critical for heavier sleepers who sleep together on a Full or Queen size mattress.

Note how the foam layers contour to the curves. Providing support, comfort, and spinal alignment.

If the heavier sleeper rolls towards the middle of the mattress and creates somewhat of a downward slope, the lighter sleeper may end up rolling into their partner. This can create additional motion transfer and interfere with the support and feel of the mattress for both sleepers. As a result, couples (especially heavier sleepers) need to select a mattress with excellent support and material design.

Sex

Sex is an important consideration when purchasing any mattress, but especially for couples. No couple (that I know of) wants to go buy a mattress that falls flat of anything short of a good time. For couples engaging in amorous activities, bounce, response, support, edge support, and comfort all play an important role. For a more complete guide to sex, see our best mattress for sex here.

For starters, bounce goes hand-in-hand with response time. The quicker a mattress is able to respond, the more natural and enjoyable the bounce and push-back feels. Traditionally, only innerspring mattresses were able to provide couples with a high degree of bounce. Today, many all foam mattresses or hybrid designs offer a similar level of response and bounce, opening up new choices.

Newly weds on their new mattress

Typically, mattresses with good bounce also have a good response time. For example, latex or latex alternatives offer nearly instant response and great bounce, but still create a balanced contoured hug for sleepers. Very traditional memory foam mattresses may not be ideal for sex. These types of mattresses are very slow to respond.

Lastly, good support and good edge support further play into the amorous activity performance. Beyond just support for the purposes of sleeping, the mattress needs to be able to support the weight of two adults located in generally the same place on the mattress. That’s a lot of weight. Selecting a mattress with robust materials and a good design will ensure the mattress is capable of properly supporting the full weight, while still creating good comfort, bounce, and response.

Firmness & Feel

Perhaps the most important factor in selecting a mattress for you and your significant other is simply the firmness and feel. Nothing else really mattress if you aren’t comfortable on the mattress. Fortunately, there are several good options to ensure you and your partner can get the feel and firmness level best suited for you.

First, you can select a mattress designed with a universal and/or adaptive feel. These types of mattresses are usually in the medium firmness range. They are designed to provide an equal level of support and pressure relief regardless of body type, weight, and sleeping position.

If you’re wary about the idea of universal comfort you can go with a split option. With a split option you’ll generally have a Split Queen or Split King. In this setup you’ll have two separate mattresses side by side. This setup is ideal if you and your partner have very different needs and find a compromise in the middle just isn’t an option. For example, if one partner is very heavy and the other partner is very light, a split mattress may be a good choice.

With split mattresses you have a few options. Some companies provide different firmness levels for their mattress. This allows you to get the same general design, but in a soft, medium, or firm option. This also helps you keep a similar aesthetic and size.

However, the design and form of many online mattress companies are similar enough that you could also simply purchase two different Split Queen or Split King mattresses and use side by side, provided they are the same thickness.

Last, but certainly not least, we have full customization. While there aren’t many of these mattresses available yet, we do have at least one really good option with the Helix mattress. Helix allows couples to each customize their own side on the mattress. However, the mattress is still one single bed. Helix also has the ability to be as firm or as soft as you need it, in addition to being customized for body type, weight, certain medical conditions, sleeping position, and other factors. This makes it a really strong contender and one of the best mattresses for couples available today.

Best Couple Mattress Recommendations

Below is our complete list of the best mattresses for couples. These mattresses meet beautifully at the intersection of great support, comfort, and sex. Many are also available in varying firmness levels, can be customized, or have a universal / adaptive comfort design.

Helix is a bed in a box that customizes a hybrid construction based on your responses to questions on their website. They take feel preference, support need, temperature regulation and point elasticity into account for the construction and can also build queen size mattresses and above with split constructions if you and your partner have different sleep preferences.

Uses a combination of foam and a proprietary hyper-elastic polymer comfort layer that is formed into a grid structure. This unique layer provides an even mix of support and pressure relief and has temperature regulating benefits as well.

Coil on coil design creates a bouncy and supportive mattress. The Saatva also includes a euro-style pillowtop for pressure relief, and a high density poly foam edge support layer, which strengthens the side of the mattress allowing you to sleep all the way to the edge of the bed without worrying about collapsing the side.

The Amerisleep line includes five mattresses of differing constructions. The line goes from the firmest mattress, the AS1, to the softest, the AS5. While the feels of these mattresses range quite a bit, they all have a comfort layer of Amerisleep's proprietary memory foam.

Sapira is the hybrid mattress produced by Leesa. This mattress uses a combination of Aveena and memory foam to provide pressure relief. The support layer consists of pocketed coils, which provide some bounce to the mattress.

This mattress has an all foam construction. The comfort and transition layers are both made of Brooklyn Bedding's proprietary TitanFlex foam. This material has a latex-like feel to it, providing good bounce to the mattress as well as dissipating body heat to help with cooling.

The Nectar uses 3 layers of memory foam, including one quilted into the cover, to provide pressure relief and contouring to the body. The Tencel cover and gel memory foam comfort layer are meant to help with temperature regulation and cooling.

Logan is the content director of Sleepopolis, which means he not only reviews new mattresses every week, but also curates all the comparisons, best of pages, and video guides on the site. He takes a straightforward, honest approach to his reviews and endeavors to give viewers an objective look at each new product he tries out. Logan’s perfected his method over the course of personally testing over 100 different mattresses, so he’s not only able to discern the overall vibe of a specific bed, but to contextualize its feel within the bed-in-a-box market as a whole. Needless to say, his sleep knowledge runs deep, and he loves nothing more than sharing that knowledge with his readers. When he’s not hopping on a new bed or working with our editorial team to whip up an engaging sleep education guide, you can find him reading books on world history, walking his dog Pepper, or searching for the best cheeseburger in New York City.

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